To expect a roast on Easter Sunday (MIL moan)

[CinnamonPlums]

It's 5pm. We haven't eaten Easter lunch yet. I have three Dds to amuse and it's getting pretty frantic.

So far we've had a cheese sandwich.

MIL just announced she's getting a Stew our of the freezer for dinner.

WTAF has she been doing in the kitchen for the last 2 hours? I could have done the roast if she thought it was too much!

I know IABU. Should be grateful for her hosting but I just wish she had said it was all too much before and I could have hosted!

Thank God we've all got chocolate to hold body and soul together.

My Ds has spent the weekend in hospital and dd, dh and me all have a bug too plus I'm on my 3rd day of no sleep. Mr Pizza Hut made our Easter Dinner for us, you should give him a call

We had a delicious leg of roast Spring lamb. My Mum used to do a turkey for Easter! It is a celebration meal after all.

DM lives with us, and has bought three lots of meat for this bank holiday - and said 'I'll leave it to you to cook'!!! I suppose at 88 it's understandable that she thinks she's done her bit over the years - but bang goes my plan of pizza one day etc. Never mind, two meals down, just one to go........

She probably just feels a bit overwhelmed with cooking for everyone.

Llareggub you're stepmum sounds a champ!

Oh and cinnamonplums, don't think you're brattish. If you're going to invite people to lunch then (some travelling a fair distance), then COOK a lunch - or - don't bother and ask for bring a dish or don't invite if it's too much but don't leave guests hungry. I hate being hungry.

lamb shish is cooking I type

Another Scot here - we had (homemade) pizza tonight. We never had a special dinner for Easter when we were kids and I know no Scots who do. But we never had roast dinners as children and my mother was a wonderful cook. No Easter egg hunts (the nursery told me about those) and no gifts or anything but we did get a chocolate egg that I would sell to my brothers in July at vastly inflated prices. My DH believes me to have been neglected as a child.

I know, she's awesome. My DCs are with their dad so she knew I was on my own today. I shall return the favour one of these days!

Can't you tell the dc that the stew is roast meat with lots of gravy? Time they learnt to cope with sauces anyway.

We had Thai Curry!

My mum used to do big Easter dinners,and my MIL would,but I think it is too much for her to have us all over now,so we tend to decline.

Do you think perhaps yours was waiting for you all to offer to go out for dinner??

you sound spoilt. Just do what you want, don't wait for someone else to do it

how is driving for 5 hours after being invited for dinner and then expecting some dinner to be made in any way spoilt? Was she supposed to be happy to get frozen stew shared around 11 people when it is only made for 6?

I had a subway. Oops.

MaryWestmacott Tried that, doesn't work. Trouble is we don't have the room for everyone to stay with us so it involves them staying in a self-catering flat nearby or a hotel. They did it once but have since refused to come down, claiming it's too hard to travel. Since they went abroad on holiday last year it's a bit more complicated than that, DH thinks his Dad (who is in his 80s and getting frail) finds our 3 kids under 6 overwhelming even for a few days I know how he feels at times whereas they go on long sedate holidays abroad where things can happen at their own pace. We're hoping to move somewhere bigger this year which will hopefully help, if he's able to be away from the kids a bit more to rest.

Roast lamb of epic celebratory proportions is the norm. it was so nice the meat went into the freezer band we had homemade lamb donner kebab in pita with salad. It felt decadant and odd.

I know a lot of kids have a problem with stew. Ds eats chili, curry, ragu. etc. He will not eat stew despite liking the component parts. I can't explain it.